AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA are beginning the rollout of a new uniform this week, with over 13,000 Gardaí set to receive the updated uniform during the rollout.

The new uniform is set to be operational before the end of March, with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris expected to announce a formal ‘go-live’ date.

All uniform members of An Garda Síochána are set to receive the updated uniform across all Garda divisions in over 560 Garda stations nationwide.

The Dublin region is set to receive the uniform first under the rollout, before being expanded to other Garda regions.

The new uniform consists of:

• A two-tone softshell jacket
• A two-tone waterproof jacket
• Garda blue polo shirt
• Operational trousers
• Practical base layers

The current Garda cap will remain in operation as a “unique and distinctive element’ of the Garda uniform, while shirts and ties are set to be dropped.

Policies around wearing official headwear for religious and cultural reasons had previously been updated, allowing turbans, kufis, topis, kippahs or hijabs.

Sources have said that, from the outset, quality over the cost was the priority when deciding on the new uniform.

The updated uniform was a key recommendation within the report on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and will be the third time in a century of operation that the uniform has been updated.

Garda Representative Organisation President, Frank Thornton said that while members have not yet received the uniform, feedback from pilot divisions had been positive.

“While our members have yet to receive delivery of the new uniforms, the feedback from the divisions where it has been piloted has been positive,” said Thornton.

“The Garda Representative Association would welcome any moves to make our uniforms more comfortable as well as practical, progressive and suitable to modern policing.”

It has also been welcomed by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), saying that the group had lobbied for a new uniform for years.

“This new uniform will be embraced by members who feel it will be more suited to outdoor frontline duties,” said the AGSI in a statement.

“The Association also welcomes the retention of the traditional uniform for formal occasions.”